This is not another backpacking gear book. Backpacking the Light Way is for both beginner and advanced backpackers who want to pack more efficiently, carry less weight, still be fully prepared for contingencies, and have more fun in the backcountry. It will benefit instructors and guides by giving them methods to teach their clients, and it will help them refine their risk assessment and trip planning techniques. This book presents field-teste...

Justin Lichter, a.k.a. Trauma, divulges hundreds of valuable tips and advice based on his more than 35,000 miles of hiking across the country and beyond. Trail Tested is a comprehensive guide to hiking and backpacking. Whether you’re a new hiker looking for expert advice, an experienced hiker looking to hone your skills, or a thru-hiker gearing up for a 6-month trip, this book is packed with priceless information to make your trip a succ...

The Ultimate Hiker’s Gear Guide by Andrew Skurka is already a classic backpacking book comparable to Colin Fletcher’s Complete Walker or Ray Jardine’s Trail Life. Supreme long-distance hiker Andrew Skurka shares his hard-earned knowledge in this essential guide to backpacking gear and skills. Described by National Geographic as “one of the best traveled and fastest hikers on the planet,” and named “Adventure...

When it was first published in 1998, The Backpacker’s Field Manual set the standard for comprehensive backpacking books. Now exhaustively updated to offer a more complete view of backpacking today, it covers the latest developments in gear—such as Global Positioning Systems and ultralight hiking equipment—first aid, and Leave No Trace comping, and includes a chapter devoted to outdoor leadership resources and basics. Beginners and experi...

The National Park Service celebrates its 100th birthday in 2016. Marking this momentous occasion the National Park Service will have 16 entrance fee-free days in 2016. Mark your calendar for these entrance fee–free dates in 2016: January 18: Martin Luther King Jr. Day April 16 through 24: National Park Week August 25 through 28: National Park Service Birthday September 24: National Public Lands Day November 11: Veterans Day The fee w...

The Appalachian Trail Data Book 2015 is the thirty-seventh edition: essential for A.T. hiking and planning. A consolidation of the basic information from all 11 A.T. guidebooks into a lightweight table of distances between major Appalachian Trail shelters, road crossings, and features–divided according to the guidebook volumes and updated each fall to account for relocations, new or removed shelters, and other changes. Also key...

The 2015 Appalachian Trail ‘Thru Hikers’ Companion is a great asset for any thru hiker or potential thruhiker. Also useful in planning shorter trips or day hikes The Companion has the latest details on the Appalachian Trail. The Appalachian Trail Conservancy and the Appalachian Long Distance Hikers Association collaborate each year on a guide especially designed for potential thru-hikers who want the basic information for...

The A.T. Guide is the guidebook of choice for hikes of any length on the Appalachian Trail. The book contains thousands of landmarks such as campsites, water sources, summits and gaps. The trail’s elevation profile is included and every landmark is aligned to the profile. Hikers using this guide know where they are on the trail, what views, streams and campsites are ahead, and whether they’ll be hiking uphill or downhill ...

Each year, it is estimated that more than 2,000 people set out to thru-hike the Appalachian Trail, yet seven in ten ultimately fall short of their goal. Given the countless number of how-to books and websites offering information about logistics, gear, and endurance training, one would think that more people would finish this 2,200 mile trek. Why then, do so many hikers quit prematurely? After successfully thru-hiking the AT in five ...